School Wide Grading Policy

 

1. Grades are the common language through which students, teachers, families, school leaders, and field staff communicate about students’ learning throughout the school year. Grades provide feedback to students and families about academic progress, influence students’ motivation and engagement in their learning, inform instructional and programmatic decisions, and shape postsecondary outcomes (NYC DOE Grading Policy Toolkit – August 2021).  

 

2. It is the responsibility of the Principal to assure that grading criteria are established for each subject area.  The individual teacher is responsible for evaluating each student’s academic achievement based on the established grading criteria and issuing a grade reflective of that assessment. 

 

3. Grades are an evaluation instrument and not a disciplinary device.

 

4. Grading criteria shall include a number of factors, such as summative and formative  

assessments, homework assignments, and classwork. 

 

5. At the beginning of each term, every teacher shall explain to students orally and in writing the grading criteria that will be used for evaluating their academic performance. 

 

6. The grading policy is accessible on the school’s website. A copy of the grading criteria shall be maintained on file in the Principal’s office. 

 

7. Absences due to illness verified by a medical note, hospitalization, death in the family, religious observance, required court or immigration appearances, attendance at health clinics, approved college visits, approved cooperative work programs, school trips, and similar situations are considered to be excused absences and the student should be given one week in which to make up exams, projects, class work, etc.  Students with absences (excused and unexcused) must be given the opportunity to make up any missed test or assignments.

 

8. For in-house suspensions and classroom removals the student must be provided with work.

9. Students have up until five days before marking period grades are due to hand in any missed or late assignments from that marking period.  Assignments that are handed in within this time frame will count towards the final grade, though each assignment that is handed in late due to non-completion or any unexcused absence can be docked with a penalty that can not exceed 10% of the assignment grade. Assignments that are handed in late due to an excused absence defined as illness, death in family, and family emergency, will not be docked.  A note must be provided.  This is applicable for all grade assessments except College Board, Regents, NYSESLAT and other State exams beyond our control.   

 

10. Parental engagement is a key component to a student’s success. Teachers must notify parents/guardians by telephone, by email, or in writing, before a student receives a failing grade for each marking period, or a grade significantly lower than previously reported progress. Teachers must maintain a parental outreach log to record communication between the teacher and parent/guardian.

 

11. A student may not be academically penalized for serving a suspension. 

 

 

Each department has its own grading policy aligned to the school wide policy. All teachers and all departments will follow this school wide breakdown of grading components: 

 

Summative Assessments:                                                                        40-50% 

 

Overall testing will account for no less than 40% and not more than 50% of the student’s grade. Each teacher establishes the specific weight of this criterion in a uniform manner for all students in his-her classes.                                                                                                              

Class based unit tests, quizzes, essays, etc.  

 

Teachers can provide challenging projects/literacy tasks for their students based on their ability levels and the scope and sequence of the course. Projects should enhance students’ reading, writing, critical thinking and problem solving skills.  

 

Formative Assessments: 

 

Homework                                                                                                   10-20% 

 

 

 

Classwork                                                                                                    30-40%  

 

Each of the above three factors must be a component of the students’ grade. The specific weight given to each of the above components which contribute to determining students’ course grades shall be established by the department and teacher in an objective and uniform manner the general range of parameters that have been established by the consensus of the department. 

 

 

The School Leadership Team met in the spring of 2022 to discuss numeric grades. The SLT came to a consensus that report card grades are to be numeric. To help with the transition to numeric grades, letter grades will still be used for marking periods 1 and 2 (these grades are not included on student transcripts and are considered progress reports). Final grades (which are included on students’ transcripts, will be numeric.  

 

1. Grades are recorded three times per semester. 

 

 

E - Excellent Numeric grade 90+   
G - Good Numeric grade 80 – 89    
S - Satisfactory Numeric grade 66 – 79   
N - Needs Improvement Numeric grade 65 
U - Unsatisfactory Numeric grade lower than 65 

 

 

 

2. Incomplete (NX): A grade of Incomplete (‘NX’) may be awarded only if a student has a documented, extreme extenuating circumstance that prevents them from completing the course in its established timeframe (for example, surgery or a death in the family). The guidance counselor is the only person who can determine if a student should receive an NX. To give an NX, the guidance counselor will provide the teacher with the directive that the student can receive an NX. ’‘NX’ does not have a pass/fail or a numeric equivalent. A student who receives an incomplete must successfully complete the remaining course requirements by the end of the term following the termination of the course to receive a final grade and credit, as applicable. 

 

3. No Show (NS): A grade of “NS” is given to a student who fails to attend a course and does not participate in any of the work from which a grade can be derived. “NS” has a pass/fail equivalent of fail and a default numeric equivalent of 45. This grade is reserved for students who have never attended class.   

 

4. Late Entry (NL): A grade of “NL” is given to students who are placed in a course after it has started, may have missed assignments or assessments needed to generate a complete course grade for a given marking period. “NL” does not have a pass/fail or numeric equivalent. Students who receive a mark of “NL” must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the term following the termination of the course in order to receive a final grade and credit, as applicable.